Best Cruise Lines

There are many things to consider when shopping for cruise travel deals:

Tipping: Not an inconsequential consideration. Many cruise lines will take the liberty of charging a large tip for your cabin steward, restaurant waiter, etc. onto your bill -- some won't really call your attention to it. Other cruise ships allow each person who comes in contact with you to request a tip. However, the best cruiselines will be open about their tipping policies without having their hands out all the time-- and some, like Holland America, leave it to your discretion and have it only take place in envelopes or account notations on the last day of the cruise.

Excursions: Excursions, or trips ashore, also often carry separate charges. This is to be expected, but be sure to budget these items in. If you are just cruising to different beach locations, you might just decide to walk ashore (with no excursion charge). However, if you are going to a tourist city like Rome or Athens, your excursion package may provide meals, motorcoach (bus) travel, and attraction admissions -- and could possibly be hundreds of dollars per person. It is fair to pay for something like that, but just keep those charges in mind when formulating your budget.

Entertainment: Most cruise ships offer free shows, musicals, and other live entertainment. However, best to check ahead of time on these charges. Obviously, casino gambling is at your own expense. But also consider what the cruise ship internet charges might be (some are quite high) if you want or need to keep in touch while cruising.

Cruise Schedule: Be mindful of the cruise schedule that you are signing up for. You can get some great deals on Mediterranean cruises late in the off-season (October-November), but you should note that the Mediterranean can get stormy during this time. We got a great Mediterranean cruise deal sailing during the off season -- and cooler weather was great for all of the outdoor walking for the excursions -- but we had stormy weather one night where several people got sick during dinner.

Cruise Ship Cabins: speaking of getting seasick, an often overlooked benefit of an inside cabin is that in rough seas you don't notice the rocking as much. Outside cabins end up moving more as that ship moves from side to side. If you're going on excursions (many from 8 a.m. until just before dinner time) and enjoying the ship's amenities, you aren't really in your cabin that much. So, an inside cabin is a great way to save money.

So, when you are evaluating cruises or evaluating cruise lines, you will want to keep these considerations in mind.